Muffler construction



Jan. 17, 1961 J. COCKER 1n MUFFLER CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 4, 1958 ad Hk ,1 m2 m0 ag 6 f 5 v H l 1 5 J 4 5 E 9 Y z a z B P 3 MW I I v P B 5 44. a0 a 9 1 8 J. u 4

A TTORNEYS.

MUFFLER CONSTRUCTION .lohn C'ocher III, Gastonia, N.C., assignor toCocker Machine & Foundry Company, Gastonia, N.C., a corporation of NorthCarolina Filed Dec. 4, 1958, Ser. No. 778,156

7 Claims. (Cl. ISL-38) This invention relates to muffier construction ofthe kind used to quiet the exhaust of internal combustion engines. Moreparticularly this invention relates to a combined muffler and mufflercut-out to be used in connection with the internal combustion engine ofan automotive vehicle.

lt is well known that the mufiler of the exhaust of any automotivevehicle, while quieting the noises produced from the exhaust gases ofthe internal combustion engine by breaking up and dissipating the soundwaves which precede such exhaust gases, also considerably reduces engineefiiciency by creating a back pressure. For this reason it is sometimesdesirable to use a muffler cut-out in order to produce greater powerfrom the engine. In the past such muffier cut-outs have been arrangedconventionally in a Y-shaped pipe construction in which one pipe feedsthrough a standard mufiler or pack and the other pipe extends straightfrom a manifold out to the back of the automotive vehicle.Conventionally a deflector valve is positioned at the conjunction of theY which may divert the exhaust gases either through the mufller orthrough the straight exhaust pipe. The arrangement, however, has notbeen entirely satisfactory owing to the fact that the exhaust gasescorrode and destroy the valve action, the seating action and the pivotalaction. Moreover, the actual seating of the valve itself has never beencompletely satisfactory.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvedmuffler and cut-out therefor in which deflector valves of the kindheretofore used are altogether eliminated.

It is another object of this invention to provide a muffler of simpleand economical construction, yet light, strong and compact.

It is another object of this invention to provide a muffler and cut-outtherefor in which the cut-out may be accomplished easily by a simplemanipulation from the drivers seat of the automotive vehicle.

it is another object of this invention to provide a mullier and cut-outtherefor in which the tendency of the exhaust gases to corrode, eat up,destroy, or cause sticking of the moving parts thereof is reduced to aminimum.

Other objects and attendant advantages will appear from the followingdetailed description of the attached drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a view in longitudinal section of the apparatus according tothis invention showing one specific arrangement thereof.

Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal section of the apparatus according tothis invention showing another specific arrangement thereof.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the apparatus according to thisinvention taken as indicated by the lines and arrows lII-III whichappear in Fig. l.

The following description is directed to the specific form of theapparatus and method as shown in the drawings and is not intended to beaddressed to the scope Patented Jan. 11?, 196i of the invention itselfwhich is capable of being practiced in a Wide variety of forms andarrangements.

Adverting herewith to the specific form of the invention illustrated inthe drawings, a mufiier it of generally cylindrical shape, is situatedwithin a housing ll, likewise of generally cylindrical construction andof larger diameter than the muffler cylinder iii. The housing ll has atapering wall l2 attached to an exhaust pipe 13. The tapering walls 14.extend within the tubular housing 11 to form a frusto-conical inlethaving an orifice l5 for the admission into the rnuffler apparatus ofthe exhaust gases emitted from the exhaust pipe 13. Cylindrical wall 16of the muffier it) is inwardly curved at its end adjacent the taperedinlet of the housing 11 to fit snugly against the tapered walls 14 whenthe muffler is in the position shown in Fig. 1. Within the cylindricalmuffler 10 are positioned baflies 17 extending alternately from oppositesides of the muffler wall 16 and leaving spaces 18 for the passage ofgases through the muffler. Centrally within the mufiler cylinder ill arearranged perforated walls 19 and 20, between which is arranged a packing21 of wool, brass wool, or other suitable noisedissipating material. Themuffler cylinder til is mounted within the housing ill by means ofblocks 22, 23, 24 and 25 through which pass studs 26, 27, 28 and 29.Studs 26, 27, 23 and 29 pass respectively through slots 3t), 31, 32 and33 positioned vertically on the opposite sides of housing ll. Studs 26and 27 are affixed to a metal plate 34 and studs 28 and 29 are affixedto another metal plate 35 on the opposite side of housing 11. Themounting of rnufiier it) is so arranged within the housing 11 tiat aspace 3% remains between the cylindrical wall 16 and the housing 11 as aconduit for the passage of exhaust gases therethrough when desired.Attached to the metal plate 34 is a bracket 3''! to which a connectingarm 38 is secured by a pin 39. At its other end connecting arm 38 isattached to the lever th by means of the pivot pin 41. A latchingarrangement in connection with the lever 4i) is provided in the form ofa pawl 42 and toothed segment 43. To one end of a rod 4-4- which issecured at its other end to plate 34, is attached the spring 45, thecompression force of which normally urges the muiiier cylinder 10 intothe cut-out position shown in Fig. 2.

In operation whenever it is desired to operate the automotive vehiclewith the sounds of the engine exhaust muflled, the mufiier cylinder 10will normally be positioned as shown in Fig. 1. When the lever 40 isdrawn into the vertical position shown in Fig. 1, against thecompression force of the spring 45, the mufller cylinder 10 is forcedforward into close register with the tapered walls 14 of the housing 11.The pawl 42 slips into an appropriate notch 46 of the toothed segment 53and thereby holds the mufiler cy inder 10 firmly in position as shown inFig. l. The inwardfy curved Wall 16 of the muffler 1d fits snuglyagainst the tapered walls 14 of the housing 11 so that the exhaust gasesemitted through orifice 15 are forced through the mufller cylinder pastbaflles l7, and through the perforated wall 19, packing 2i, andperforated wall 20, thereby eilectively dissipating the sound wavesaccompanying such exhaust gases.

When it is desired, however, to operate the automotive vehicle in amanner to obtain maximum power and avoid the back pressure of theexhaust gases resulting from their being forced through the mufflercylinder, the driver will release the pawl 42 of the aforementionedlatchingarrangement, whereupon the compression force of the spring 45will cause the backward longitudinal movement of the mufi'ler cylinderit) away from the tapered inlet 14 of housing ll. If desired, themuffler cylinder 10 can be moved backward from the housing inlet to themaximum extent permitted by the slots 30, 31, 32, and 33, as shown inFig. 2. Alternatively, muffier cylinder can be secured variously inpositions intermediate of the positions shown in Fig. l and Fig. 2 byallowing the pawl 42 to rest in any of the notches of toothed segment 43intermediate of the extreme positions. The particular position of themuffier cylinder 10 that is selected will depend upon the extent towhich a cut-out of the mufiler is desired.

When the muffler cylinder 10 has been secured in the position shown inFig. 2, the exhaust gases emitted from the orifice of the housing inletmay then pass freely through open space 36 provided between the mufiiercylinder wall 16 and housing 11 to be emitted directly into theatmosphere. Exhaust gases passing into the muffler 10 when in theposition shown in Fig. 2, will encounter the obstacle of baflles andpacking within the muffler cylinder, and consequently, back pressure isdeveloped which aids in the forcing of the exhaust gases through thespaces 47 and 48 into the straight exhaust conduit 36 and from thereinto the atmosphere.

It will be apparent that one of the important advantages of thisinvention is the elimination of deflecting valves of the kind which haveheretofore caused most of the difficulty in the continual and efficientuse of muffier cutout devices; since there are no valves to corrode,stick, or fail to seat properly, the invention herein described is bothefficient and reliable in its operation and effectiveness and far moredurable and longlasting as well.

Another significant advantage of this invention lies in its essentialsimplicity and economy of construction.

Although this invention has been disclosed with reference to specificforms and embodiments thereof, it will be evident that a great number ofvariations may be made without departing from the spirit and the scopeof this invention. For example, parts may be reversed, equivalentelements may be substituted for those specifically disclosed, andcertain features of the invention may be used independently of otherfeatures, all without cleparting from the spirit and scope of thisinvention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A muffler apparatus for the exhaust pipe of an internal combustionengine comprising a housing having an inlet connected to receive theexhaust from said pipe, muffing means shiftably mounted in said housingfor movement toward and away from said inlet, said muflling means havingan inlet which is constructed and arranged to connect with the inlet ofsaid housing, means forming a by-pass between said muflling means andthe walls of said housing which communicates with said inlet and byassessaid mutlling means when said muffling means is shifted away from saidinlet, and moving means attached to said muffiing means and extendingthrough the walls of said housing for shifting said mufiling meanstoward and away from said inlet.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said moving means isprovided with a spring alfixed to the exterior of said housing, saidspring normally urging said mul'l'ling means away from said inlet.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein latching means is connectedto said moving means exterior of said housing and arranged to hold saidmuffling means in the desired proximity to said inlet against the actionof said spring.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein said latching means isconnected with actuating means operable from a remote point.

5. A mufiler apparatus for the exhaust pipe of an internal combustionenginecomprising a housing having an inlet connected to receive theexhaust from said pipe, muffiing means shiftably mounted in said housingfor movement toward and away from said inlet, said mufliing means havingan inlet which is constructed and arranged to connect with the inlet ofsaid housing, means forming a by-pass in said housing between saidmutfling means and the Walls of said housing which communicates withsaid inlet and by-passes said mulfiing means when said muffling means isshifted away from said inlet, said muffiing means having a flowresistance which is substantially greater than the flow resistance ofsaid by-pass whereby a back pressure of exhaust gases is developedwithin said muffling means to force said gases into said by-pass, andmeans attached to said muffiing means and extending through the walls ofsaid housing for shifting said muflling means toward and away from saidinlet.

6. A mufiler apparatus for the exhaust pipe of an internal combustionengine comprising an outer housing having an inlet connected to receivethe exhaust from said pipe, mufiling means shiftably mounted within saidouter housing for movement toward and away from said inlet andcomprising an inner housing spaced apart from said outer housing, aseries of bafiles within said inner housing forming a labyrinth therein,perforated walls spaced apart from one another and disposed centrally ofsaid baffies, and a sound-dissipating material arranged between saidperforated walls, said muffling means having an inlet which isconstructed and arranged to connect with the inlet of said outerhousing, means forming a by-pass between the walls of said inner housingand the walls of said outer housing which communicates with said inletand by-passes said muffiing means when said mufiling means is shiftedaway from said inlet, said mufiling means having a flow resistance whichis substantially greater than the flow resistance of said by-passwhereby a back pressure of exhaust gases is developed within saidmuflling means to force said gases into said by-pass, and meansconnected to the walls of said inner housing for shifting said mufilingmeans toward and away from said inlet.

7. A mufiler apparatus for the exhaust pipe of an internal combustionengine comprising an outer housing having an inlet connected to receivethe exhaust from said pipe; muflling means shiftably mounted within saidouter housing for movement toward and away from said inlet andcomprising an inner housing spaced apart from said outer housing, saidspace between said inner housing and said outer housing forming aby-pass which communicates with said inlet and by-passes said muffiingmeans when said mufiling means is shifted away from said inlet, a seriesof baffles within said inner housing forming a labyrinth therein,perforated walls spaced apart from one another and disposed centrally ofsaid baffies, and a sound-dissipating material arranged between saidperforated walls, said mufiling means having an inlet which isconstructed and arranged to connect with the inlet of said outerhousing, said mufiling means having studs attached to the exterior ofsaid inner housing, said outer housing having slots for the passage ofsaid studs therethrough; moving means attached to said studs forshifting said mufl ling means toward and away from said inlet andlatching means connected with said moving means for holding saidmufiiing means in the desired proximity to said inlet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS315,732 Coale Apr. 14, 1885 1,187,581 Weil June 20, 1916 1,729,027Brennan Sept. 24, 1929 1,756,897 Bilsky Apr. 29, 1930 1,807,512 Culp May26, 1931 1,990,249 Pieron Feb. 5, 1935

